Individual condiment containers



y 1959 F. R. HILL 2,893,618

INDIVIDUAL CONDIMENT CONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1957.

United States Patent Ofilice 2,893,618 Patented July 7, 1959 INDIVIDUAL CONDIMENT CONTAINERS Frank Robert Hill, San Diego, Calif.

Application May 27, 1957, Serial No. 661,888

'1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to an individual condiment container, more particularly for containing salt and pepper, and has for its principal object the provision of an exceedingly economical, disposable, individual salt or pepper container which can be used to carry advertising matter, and which can be economically discarded after each individual use.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the improved individual container that it may be manufactured by folding a single stamped blank of cardboard or similar material, and to provide a handle portion for convenient lifting and tilting the container, and a tear tab to facilitate opening the container.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates the front of a blank of sheet material from which the improved container is formed;

Fig. 2 illustrates the blank of Fig. 1 partially folded and partially assembled and in the condition it would be furnished to restaurants and other users;

Fig. 3 illustrates the assembled blank completely erected, filled, and closed, as it would appear ready for use;

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view illustrating the appearance of the container after it has been opened for use;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the container, looking downwardly on the line 55, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a similar cross-section through the partially folded container, taken on the line 66, Fig. 2.

The views of the drawing show the container substantially in its full size, with the exception that the thickness of the material has been greatly exaggerated in Figs. 5 and 6 for the purpose of illustration.

The improved container is formed from a single blank of sheet material, such as cardboard, of the approximate weight of a government postal card. The blank is diestamped to form a front portion 10, two side portions 11 and 12, and a back portion 13. All of these portions have a greater width adjacent the bottom than at the top, and all are preferably similar in size and shape. The side portion 11 is joined to the back portion 13 and to the front portion along scored fold lines 23 and 24, respectively, and the front portion 10 is joined to the side portion 12 along a similar fold line 25.

A rectangular bottom tab 14 is formed on the bottom of each of the portions 10, 11, 12, and 13. The tabs 14 are preferably square, with a width equaling the width of the bottom of the portions to which they are attached. The bottom tabs 14 are joined to the portions 10, 11, 12, and 13 along scored fold lines 15.

A square top tab 16 joins the top of the back portion 13 along a scored fold line 17, and a tapered top tab 18 joins the top of each of the side portions 11 and 12 along a scored fold line 19. The square top tab 16 has a width and length equaling the narrowest width of the back portion 13. The front portion 10 is provided at its top with a tearable top flap 20 joined thereto on a scored tear line 21.

In the blank, the various top flaps are separated from each other on cut lines 22, and the tearable top flap 20 overlaps one of the side top tabs 18 to form a somewhat hooked shape, as illustrated. A side flap 26 joins one side of the side portion 12 along a scored fold line 27. A handle flap 28 extends from one side of the back portion 13 and forms a rigid continuation thereof.

The side flap 26 is provided with an area of adhesive 29 on the front of the blank; one of the bottom tabs 14, for instance the bottom tab of the side portion 12, is provided with an area of adhesive 30 on the rear of the blank; and the top flap 20 is provided with an area of adhesive 31 on the rear of the blank. The adhesive may be of any suitable variety, preferably of the latex base, pressure-sealing type.

The improved containers are furnished to the customers in a partially assembled condition, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. To place the containers in the partially folded shape, the side portion 12 is folded rearwardly, that is, away from the viewer in Fig. 1, on the fold line 25 until it lies against the back of the front portion 10. The front portion 10, with the portion 12 folded against its back, and the other side portion 11 are first folded rearwardly, thence forwardly on the fold line 23, until they lie behind the back portion 13 and the handle flap 28, as shown in Fig. 2. The folded container is then pressed to cause the adhesive area 29 to adhere to the back of the back portion 13, to form a flat, compact, folded article which can be efficiently packed for shipment to the user.

To fill the containers, it is only necessary to unfold the article of Fig. 2 into a rectangular shape, then fold the two top tabs 18 over the open top, followed by the rectangular tab 16 and then by the tearable top flap 20 carrying the area of adhesive 32 to seal the top of the container. The contents, pepper or salt or the like, is then placed in the container through the open bottom. The three non-adhesive bottom tabs 14 are then folded over the open bottom, followed by the tab 14 carrying the area of adhesive 30, to seal the bottom. The decreasing cross-sectional area prevents the bottom tabs from folding into the container.

The container now presents the appearance of Fig. 3. When access to the contents is desired, the user grasps the projecting hook-shaped top flap 20 and pulls it upwardly, tearing it from the container along the tear line 21, thus releasing the remaining tabs 16 and 18 to allow the contents to be poured or shaken from the opened top, as shown in Fig. 4.

The handle flap 28 not only provides a convenient handle to be gripped between the thumb and finger, but also provides a flat, prominently visible area upon which advertising matter may be imprinted. Since the container is relatively inexpensive, and since only sufiicient contents are placed therein to serve an individual for a single meal, the used container and the remaining contents may be discarded after use.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

An individual condiment container comprising: a vertically elongated, four-sided enclosure ofsheet material having a tapered front portion, a tapered back portion, and two tapered side portions joined together ontfold lines; an extending flap on one of said side portions cemented to the inner side of said rear portion to form said enclosed container, a bottom flap formed on the lower extremity of each portion, the four bottom flaps being folded horizontally in laminated relation to form a bottom in said enclosure, the lowermost bottom flap being cemented to the next above bottom flap; a top flap formed on the upper extremity of each portion, the four top flaps being folded over each other in laminated relation to form atop on said enclosure, the uppermost top flap being cemented to the next below top flap, said uppermost top flap having a greater length than the other three top flaps so as to extend beyond the sides of said enclosure and being provided with an ofii'set end portion to form a finger grip thereon for tearing said top flaps from said enclosure; and an integral handle flap corresponding in height to the height of said enclosure and being a continuation of the back portion beyond one side of said enclosure to provide a handle for lifting said enclosure, said, first mentioned extending flap extending along the inner side of said handle flap to provide a reinforcement therefor.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,414 Weierman May 22, 1923 1,684,244 Richardson Sept. 11, 1928 1,914,543 Trost June 20, 1933 2,054,302 Scoles Sept. 15, 1936 2,390,392 Rons Dec. 4, 1945 2,507,843 Wheeler May 16, 1950 

